Dragons Luck

The topic, as he understood it, was loosely categorized as information technologies. He was sure things would wander a bit around the topic, but the crux of the discussion was to be geared toward a single issue. Someone had proposed that a database be set up listing all known willing supernatural entities and their general locations and territories.

It seemed simple enough, a source of information on who was where and who was near enough to call on for help in times of crisis. Still, Griffen had a growing suspicion in his gut that things would be anything but easy.

The room itself was like conference rooms everywhere. A long table, chairs, pitchers of water, and glasses. Though there were only a few chairs at the table itself. Behind each seat at the table were several chairs, and as people started filing in, Griffen saw what he expected would become a familiar pattern.

The speakers, for lack of a better word, sat at the table. Their groups and advisors sat behind them. Already there was whispering going on as a speaker would lean back to consult the others. Though there were no rules against anyone speaking their mind, it seemed the majority would speak through their leaders.

Griffen had purposefully not sat at the head of the table but closer to the middle of it. If he was going to do any good at all, he figured he would have to be in the thick of things. This was not about power games. At least, not yet.

When it was all said and done, sitting at the table were Griffen, Estella, Slim, Jay, Lowell, Tink, and three people Griffen hadn’t met yet. One he knew from sight was the leader of the garou, who was sitting directly opposite Jay and the other shifters. He went by the name of Kane. The other two Slim had mentioned were representing more-scattered and less-represented groups.

One, a stout woman with laughter lines around her eyes, was a wiccan named Gada. She was speaking largely for the collected human religious types other than the voodoo. The last was the one who had proposed the database. Griffen wasn’t sure what to make of him, but he claimed to be an alchemist.

The meeting had started with the proposal. That in itself was excruciating. The alchemist, named Nick, tended to stutter and repeat himself. He listed point by point the benefits of such information, then played devil’s advocate and brought up every point against it he could think of. Then he brought up points to dismiss the negative ones and debated himself.

“Dis so stupid.” Kane put in finally.

Griffen had been told that the garou were “local” more or less. Now he believed it. Kane’s accent was somewhere between Cajun and the Bronx. He had to have some family that lived in the Irish Channel. His vocabulary was good, his sense of grammar atrocious.

“He has the right to speak,” Slim said.

“For ’ow long? Dis here discussion was only s’posed ta be for a hour or two. He’s liable ta take dat all up hi’self.”

“I—I—I was o-o-only trying to present a f-f-fair and coco-complete argument,” Nick said.

“Well, to be fair, perhaps it’s time we let the table discuss it. I think you have made your pitch,” Gada said.

“Incessantly,” said Kane, leaning back in his chair and putting his feet up on the table.

For some reason he glared at Griffen. There was a certain insolence about Kane. As if he would push for no reason other than to see who would push back. Griffen saw no reason at this point to give him the satisfaction.

“Sure can’t see it bein’ a big deal. Never hurts to have too much info or too many contacts,” Slim said, starting off the discussion proper.

Gada and Lowell both nodded, Jay and Estella seemed hesitant. Kane sat upright again and slapped his palm down on the table.

“You gonna put our lives up on da Internet? Der still people who hunt supernaturals. All supernaturals. Not just dragons,” he said.

The blatant dig aside, he seemed to have a point.

“I agree,” Tink said. “I’ve run into persecution before, and even hunters. This is not a safe world.”

“It’s exactly because it’s not a safe world that we need a way to stay in touch,” Lowell said.

“I’m not sure I like how you would touch us,” Tink said with an easy smile.

There were chuckles from the audience, and a stirring among the vampires. One firm rule during these meetings: no powers. That was the only part of Griffen’s job description he was sure on, and he kept a close eye, or whatever, on the vampires’ auras of power.

“I am not sure I would trust even others on the list with the whole list,” Jay said. “After all, the only people you can truly count on in a crisis are those you know, and know you can trust. There are many predators among us.”

“And as a predator I say dis stinks. You are settin’ yo’self up for some big troubles,” Kane said.

Estella spoke up, and there was something about her voice that caught people’s attention. It wasn’t any power, other than that of her personality. She was used to speaking to, and commanding, a crowd. It was a preacher’s voice.